A rotatable gate valve
By adding guide holes to the wedge gate and combining them with the design of the drive mechanism and guide components, the problem of the wedge gate valve being unable to pass the ball is solved, achieving a balance between cleaning function and sealing performance, and reducing the labor intensity of workers.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- 浙江宝核工业科技集团有限公司
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-17
Smart Images
Figure CN224515995U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of valve technology, and in particular to a rotatable gate valve. Background Technology
[0002] Gate valves are a widely used type of valve with various structural forms to adapt to different operating conditions. The most common structural form is the wedge gate valve. Wedge gate valves have a compact design and few parts. Their sealing surface is planar, and the manufacturing process is simple. The sealing surface of a wedge gate valve has a wear allowance, resulting in a long service life and convenient maintenance. The opening and closing of a wedge gate valve is achieved by the valve stem driving the wedge gate to move up and down along the valve seat sealing surface. The torque required during opening and closing is relatively small, making operation relatively effortless. Therefore, wedge gate valves are widely used in petrochemical and thermal power plant pipelines as opening and closing devices to connect or disconnect the medium in the pipeline.
[0003] However, in ordinary wedge gate valves, the distance between the two sealing surfaces is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. Designing a guide hole along the top edge would cause interference, while designing it along the bottom edge would create a large gap. Therefore, ordinary wedge gate valves cannot be fitted with guide holes. Furthermore, newly built petrochemical pipelines require regular cleaning with pigging balls to reduce labor intensity. This directly leads to wedge gate valves, which cannot pass through balls, being replaced by ball valves in small and medium diameter pipelines, and by flat gate valves with guide holes in large diameter pipelines. Utility Model Content
[0004] To overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a rotatable gate valve that, while having a wedge gate, can also be equipped with a flow guide hole, allowing the gate valve to also function as a ball valve and facilitating gate valve cleaning.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is: a rotatable gate valve, comprising: A valve body, the valve body comprising a flow channel opened along a first direction in a horizontal plane and a valve chamber located above the flow channel and communicating with the flow channel; A wedge gate, comprising two sealing surfaces spaced apart along a first direction and a mating surface spaced apart along a second direction in a horizontal plane, wherein a guide hole coaxial with the flow channel is provided in the middle of the wedge gate along the second direction; The driving mechanism includes a valve stem and a driving assembly. The valve stem is fixedly connected to the wedge gate. The driving assembly is used to drive the valve stem to reciprocate in the vertical direction so that the wedge gate switches between the flow channel and the valve chamber. When the wedge gate is located in the valve chamber, the driving assembly can drive the valve stem to rotate around its axis. The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: A guide hole was added to the wedge gate, allowing a pigging ball to pass through and clean the gate valve when the guide hole is connected to the flow channel. At the same time, the characteristics of the wedge gate valve are retained, opening and closing the valve as the wedge gate moves up and down.
[0006] The wedge gate can move up and down while also rotating. When the sealing surface blocks the flow channel, the gate valve is in the closed state. When the gate moves up into the valve chamber, the gate valve is in the fully open state. When the gate valve needs cleaning, the gate is rotated in the valve chamber, and the wedge gate moves down until the guide hole and the flow channel are coaxial. At this time, the gate valve is also in the open state. The wedge gate can move up and down to open and close the flow channel, and it can also rotate. The guide hole guides the pig, allowing the gate valve to also perform the cleaning function of allowing the pig to pass through.
[0007] Furthermore, the upper surface of the wedge gate is fixed with guide plates located on both sides of the valve stem and extending axially along the flow guide hole. The guide plates extend out of the wedge gate, and the portion extending out of the wedge gate has a guide groove. The inner wall of the valve chamber has a guide strip that can be embedded in the guide groove. The guide strip has a gap from the top of the valve chamber with a height greater than the thickness of the guide plate. The valve stem can only rotate when it moves onto the guide plate into the gap. The guide groove and guide bar form a guide assembly. The guide groove and guide bar work together to limit the angle of the gate, so that the gate can only move up and down after the sealing surface or mating surface is aligned with the valve seat. Furthermore, the valve stem rotates at a 90° angle, and the guide bar includes two open guide bars spaced apart along a first direction and two close guide bars spaced apart along a second direction.
[0008] Furthermore, the valve body includes a valve seat portion extending from the side wall of the valve chamber along a first direction. The upper surface of the valve seat portion is provided with a positioning protrusion located directly below the opening guide strip. When the mating surface and the end face of the valve seat portion abut against each other, the positioning protrusion is embedded in the guide groove. When the mating surface and the end face of the valve seat portion abut against each other, the positioning protrusion is embedded in the guide groove, ensuring the concentricity of the flow guide hole and the valve body flow channel while the gate valve is open.
[0009] Furthermore, the upper end of the guide bar has a constricted structure, which facilitates the guide bar's entry and exit from the guide groove. Even if the guide groove is slightly offset, the guide bar can still enter the guide groove due to the constricted structure, and then guide the wedge gate as the guide groove continues to move downward.
[0010] Furthermore, both the sealing surface and the abutment surface are inclined relative to the vertical direction, and both are inclined from top to bottom toward the inside of the wedge gate. This inclined surface structure ensures that when the sealing surface and the valve seat abut, the sealing principle is consistent with the bending of a regular wedge gate valve. The torque required during opening and closing is relatively small, thus requiring less effort to operate, resulting in high reliability of torque control and good sealing performance.
[0011] Furthermore, a recess is formed in the area where the inner surface of the flow channel communicates with the valve chamber. The recess extends in a groove shape along the circumference of the flow channel. The width of the sealing surface in the horizontal plane, perpendicular to the axial direction of the flow channel, is greater than the width of the abutment surface. The recess can accommodate sealing surfaces and abutment surfaces of different widths. When the sealing surface abuts against the valve seat, it functions to close the gate valve. At this time, the pressure on the sealing surface is relatively large, therefore, the width of the sealing surface is wider to meet the sealing requirements.
[0012] Furthermore, the wedge gate is detachably connected to the valve stem via the connecting block, and this detachable connection facilitates the replacement of the valve stem or the wedge gate. The connecting block has a T-slot, and the valve stem includes a T-shaped insertion portion that can be inserted into the T-slot. The insertion of the T-slot and the T-shaped insertion portion prevents relative rotation between the valve stem and the connecting block while transmitting motion.
[0013] Furthermore, the drive mechanism includes a nut seat rotatably connected to the valve body and located above the valve chamber. The valve stem passes through the nut seat and is threadedly connected to it. A handwheel located above the valve body is fixed on the nut seat. Rotating the nut seat with the handwheel causes the valve stem to move up and down, thereby switching the gate between the flow channel and the valve chamber.
[0014] Furthermore, the upper end of the valve stem extends out of the valve body and is fixed with a handle, and the valve body is provided with a mark indicating the position of the handle. The handle and the mark ensure that the valve stem can rotate at a 90° angle. Attached Figure Description
[0015] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the gate valve in the open state in an embodiment of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the wedge gate located in the valve chamber in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the wedge gate in an embodiment of the present invention after the valve chamber has been rotated 90°. Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the gate valve in the closed state in an embodiment of this utility model; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the wedge-shaped gate in an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the valve body in an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 7 This is a top view of the valve body in this utility model.
[0016] In the picture: 1. Valve body; 11. Valve body; 111. Guide bar; 1111. Opening guide bar; 1112. Closing guide bar; 112. Valve seat; 1121. Positioning protrusion; 12. Valve cover; 1a. Flow channel; 11a. Recess; 1b. Valve chamber; 11b. Clearance; 2. Wedge gate; 21. Sealing surface; 22. Butt joint surface; 23. Guide hole; 3. Valve stem; 31. T-type connector; 4. Driver components; 41. Nut seat; 42. Handwheel; 43. Handle; 44. Bearing; 45. Pressure cap; 5. Guide plate; 51. Guide groove; 6. Connecting block; 61. T-slot; 7. Packing material. Detailed Implementation The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the advantages and features of the present invention can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art, thereby making a clearer and more definite definition of the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0017] It should be noted that in the description of this utility model, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," and "rear," which indicate direction or positional relationships, are based on the direction or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These are used merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0018] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.
[0019] In the diagrams below, the first direction is the X direction, the second direction is the Y direction, and the vertical direction is the Z direction.
[0020] This utility model relates to a rotatable gate valve, see attached document. Figure 1 As shown, it includes a valve body 1, a wedge gate 2, and a drive mechanism.
[0021] The valve body 1 includes a flow channel 1a extending in a first direction along a horizontal plane and a valve chamber 1b located above and communicating with the flow channel 1a. (See appendix) Figure 5 As shown, the wedge gate 2 includes two sealing surfaces 21 spaced apart along a first direction and mating surfaces 22 spaced apart along a second direction in the horizontal plane. A guide hole 23, coaxial with the flow channel 1a, is provided in the middle of the wedge gate 2 along the second direction. The drive mechanism includes a valve stem 3 and a drive assembly 4. The valve stem 3 is fixedly connected to the wedge gate 2. The drive assembly 4 drives the valve stem 3 to reciprocate vertically, switching the wedge gate 2 between the flow channel 1a and the valve chamber 1b. When the wedge gate 2 is located in the valve chamber 1b, the drive assembly 4 can drive the valve stem 3 to rotate around its axis.
[0022] In this embodiment, a guide hole 23 is added to the wedge gate 2. When the guide hole 23 is connected to the flow channel 1a, a pigging ball can pass through to clean the gate valve. At the same time, the characteristics of the wedge gate valve are retained, opening and closing the gate valve when the wedge gate 2 moves up and down.
[0023] In this embodiment, the wedge gate 2 can move up and down while also rotating. The rotation angle of the wedge gate 2 is 90°. When the sealing surface 21 blocks the flow channel 1a, the gate valve is in the closed state. When the gate valve needs cleaning, the gate is rotated in the valve chamber 1b, and the wedge gate is moved down until the guide hole 23 is coaxial with the flow channel 1a. At this time, the gate valve is in the open state. When the wedge gate 2 moves up into the valve chamber 1b, the gate valve is also in the open state, and the wedge gate 2 can rotate. In this embodiment, the wedge gate 2 can move up and down to open and close the flow channel 1a, and can also rotate. The guide hole 23 guides the pig, allowing the gate valve to also perform the cleaning function of allowing the pig to pass through.
[0024] See appendix Figure 6 and attached Figure 7 As shown, the valve body 1 includes a valve seat portion 112 extending from the side wall of the valve chamber 1b along a first direction. Both the sealing surface 21 and the abutment surface are inclined relative to the vertical direction, and both the sealing surface 21 and the abutment surface are inclined from top to bottom towards the inside of the wedge gate 2. The surfaces of the valve seat portion 112 that abut against the sealing surface 21 and the abutment surface are also similarly inclined. This gate valve incorporates the characteristics of existing wedge gate valves, employing a beveled fit structure. When the sealing surface 21 and the valve seat portion 112 abut against each other, the sealing principle is consistent with the bending of a conventional wedge gate valve. The torque required during opening and closing is relatively small, thus requiring less effort in opening and closing operations, resulting in high reliability of torque control and good sealing performance.
[0025] In one embodiment, a recess 11a is formed in the region where the inner surface of the flow channel 1a communicates with the valve chamber 1b. The recess 11a extends in a groove shape along the circumference of the flow channel 1a, and the width of the sealing surface 21 in the horizontal plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the flow channel 1a is greater than the width of the abutment surface. The recess 11a can accommodate sealing surfaces 21 and abutment surfaces of different widths, and the width of the recess 11a in the second direction is greater than the width of the sealing surface 21.
[0026] When the sealing surface 21 abuts against the valve seat 112, it serves to close the gate valve. At this time, the pressure on the sealing surface 21 is relatively large. Therefore, the width of the sealing surface 21 is set to be wider to meet the sealing requirements.
[0027] The guide hole 23 can only ensure fluid passage when it is coaxial with the flow channel 1a. Therefore, the wedge gate 2 needs to be able to maintain the rotation angle when it rotates. After the wedge gate 2 rotates to the specified angle, the sealing surface 21 and the mating surface 22 must be aligned with the valve seat 112 before the wedge gate 2 in the valve chamber 1b can be moved down.
[0028] Therefore, a guide assembly is also required to guide the raising and lowering of the wedge gate 2. (See appendix) Figure 7 and attached Figure 5 As shown, the guide assembly includes a guide plate 5, which is fixed to the upper surface of the wedge gate 2. The guide plate 5 is located on both sides of the valve stem 3 and extends axially along the guide hole 23. The guide plate 5 extends out of the wedge gate 2, and the portion extending out of the wedge gate 2 has a guide groove 51. A guide strip 111 is provided on the inner wall of the valve chamber 1b, which can be embedded in the guide groove 51. A gap 11b is left between the guide strip 111 and the top of the valve chamber 1b. The valve stem 3 can only rotate when the guide plate 5 moves up into the gap 11b. The guide plate 5 can only rotate 90° when it moves up into the gap 11b, and the gate can only move up and down when the guide groove 51 and the guide strip 111 are aligned. The angle of the gate is limited by the cooperation of the guide groove 51 and the guide strip 111, so that the gate can only move up and down after it rotates to the point where the sealing surface 21 or the mating surface 22 is aligned with the valve seat 112.
[0029] The height of gap 11b is greater than the thickness of guide plate 5, so that guide plate 5 can rotate after entering gap 11b.
[0030] Because the valve stem 3 rotates at a 90° angle, the guide bar 111 includes two open guide bars 1111 spaced apart along a first direction and two closed guide bars 1112 spaced apart along a second direction. When the guide groove 51 moves down along the two open guide bars 1111, it can align the mating surface 22 and the valve seat portion 112. When the guide groove 51 moves down along the two closed guide bars 1112, it can align the sealing surface 21 and the valve seat portion 112.
[0031] To further improve the concentricity of the guide hole 23 and the flow channel 1a, see Appendix. Figure 6 As shown, the upper surface of the valve seat 112 is provided with a positioning protrusion 1121 located directly below the opening guide bar 1111. When the mating surface 22 and the end face of the valve seat 112 abut against each other, the positioning protrusion 1121 is embedded in the guide groove 51, ensuring the concentricity of the flow guide hole 23 and the flow channel 1a of the valve body 1 while the gate valve is opened.
[0032] In one embodiment, the upper end of the guide bar 111 has a constricted structure, which facilitates the guide bar 111 to enter and exit the guide groove 51. At this time, even if the position of the guide groove 51 is slightly offset, the guide bar 111 can still enter the guide groove 51 due to the constricted structure, and then guide the wedge gate 2 as the guide groove 51 continues to move downward.
[0033] The guide strip 111 has a cuboid structure below the constriction structure. The constriction structure has two sides that slope towards each other from bottom to top, forming a trapezoid with the top as the upper base.
[0034] See appendix Figure 5 As shown, the wedge gate 2 is detachably connected to the valve stem 3 via a connecting block 6. The connecting block 6 has a T-slot 61. The valve stem 3 includes a T-shaped insertion part 31 that can be inserted into the T-slot 61. The position of the T-shaped insertion part 31 within the T-slot 61 can be finely adjusted. This allows the guide strip 111 and the positioning protrusion 1121 to finely adjust the angle of the wedge gate 2 via the guide groove 51 when the guide groove 51 and the guide strip 111 or the positioning protrusion 1121 are not fully aligned, ensuring that the sealing surface 21 and the mating surface 22 are aligned with the valve seat 112. The insertion of the T-slot and the T-shaped insertion part 31 prevents relative rotation between the valve stem 3 and the connecting block while transmitting motion.
[0035] The connecting block 6 and the guide plate 5 are fixed to the wedge gate 2 by locking parts (such as bolts), or they can be integrally formed.
[0036] The drive mechanism includes a nut seat 41 rotatably connected to the valve body 1 and located above the valve chamber 1b. The valve stem 3 passes through the nut seat 41 and is threadedly connected to it. A handwheel 42 located above the valve body 1 is fixed on the nut seat 41. Rotating the nut seat 41 by the handwheel 42 will cause the valve stem 3 to move up and down, thereby switching the gate between the flow channel 1a and the valve chamber 1b.
[0037] A bearing 44 is provided between the nut seat 41 and the valve body 1. The bearing 44 makes the rotation of the nut seat 41 smoother and reduces the operating force. The nut seat 41 and the bearing 44 are fixed by a pressure cap 45. A boss is provided on the outer wall of the nut seat 41. The pressure rod and the boss cooperate to prevent the bearing seat 44 and the nut from moving in the vertical direction.
[0038] In one embodiment, to facilitate manual rotation of the valve stem 3, the upper end of the valve stem 3 extends out of the valve body 1 and is fixed with a handle 43. The handle 43 is rod-shaped. When the handle 43 is parallel to the flow channel 1a, the guide hole 23 is parallel to the flow channel 1a. When the handle 43 is perpendicular to the flow channel 1a, the guide hole 23 is perpendicular to the flow channel 1a.
[0039] A mark indicating the position of the handle 43 can also be provided on the valve body 1 to ensure that the handle 43 rotates 90°.
[0040] See appendix Figure 1 As shown, the valve body 1 includes a valve body 11 and a valve cover 12. The valve cover 12 is located above the valve body 11. A middle flange gasket is provided between the valve body 11 and the valve cover 12. The valve body 11 and the valve cover 12 are fastened by multiple locking elements (bolts and nuts) to form a complete pressure boundary. A flow channel 1a is formed on the valve body 11, and a valve chamber 1b is formed between the valve body 11 and the valve cover 12. A nut seat 41 is provided on the valve cover 12.
[0041] A packing 7 is also provided between the valve cover 12 and the valve stem 3. The packing 7 is pressed by a packing clamp to ensure a seal and ensure that fluid does not flow out between the valve stem 3 and the valve body 1.
[0042] Appendix Figure 1 With the gate valve in the open position, the guide hole 23 and the flow channel 1a are concentric. When the valve needs to be closed, hold the handle 43 steady and rotate the handwheel 42 counterclockwise to lift the wedge gate 2 into the valve chamber 1b via the valve stem 3 until it reaches the adjacent... Figure 2 As shown, the guide plate 5 is at gap 11b. Hold the handwheel 42 steady and turn the handle 43 counterclockwise. This rotates the wedge gate 2 90° via the valve stem 3, reaching the attached position. Figure 3 As shown in the diagram. Hold handle 43 steady, and rotate handwheel 42 clockwise to lower wedge gate 2 to the bottom via valve stem 3, reaching the attached position. Figure 4 As shown in the diagram, during this process, the guide plate 5 moves along the closed guide bar 1112. This process completes the valve's transition from opening to closing; the process of closing the gate valve and opening it is simply the reverse operation.
[0043] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of this utility model. Their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of this utility model and implement it. They cannot be used to limit the protection scope of this utility model. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of this utility model should be covered within the protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A rotatable gate valve, characterized by: include: A valve body, the valve body comprising a flow channel opened along a first direction in a horizontal plane and a valve chamber located above the flow channel and communicating with the flow channel; A wedge gate, comprising two sealing surfaces spaced apart along a first direction and a mating surface spaced apart along a second direction in a horizontal plane, wherein a guide hole coaxial with the flow channel is provided in the middle of the wedge gate along the second direction; The driving mechanism includes a valve stem and a driving assembly. The valve stem is fixedly connected to the wedge gate. The driving assembly is used to drive the valve stem to reciprocate in the vertical direction so that the wedge gate switches between the flow channel and the valve chamber. When the wedge gate is located in the valve chamber, the driving assembly can drive the valve stem to rotate around its axis.
2. The rotatable gate valve of claim 1, wherein: The upper surface of the wedge gate is fixed with guide plates located on both sides of the valve stem and extending axially along the guide hole. The guide plates extend out of the wedge gate and the portion extending out of the wedge gate is provided with guide grooves. The inner wall of the valve chamber is provided with guide strips that can be embedded in the guide grooves. A gap greater than the thickness of the guide plate is left between the guide strips and the top of the valve chamber. The valve stem can only rotate when it moves on the guide plate into the gap.
3. The rotatable gate valve of claim 2, wherein: The valve stem rotates at an angle of 90°, and the guide bar includes two open guide bars spaced apart along a first direction and two close guide bars spaced apart along a second direction.
4. The rotatable gate valve of claim 3, wherein: The valve body includes a valve seat portion extending out of the side wall of the valve chamber along a first direction. The upper surface of the valve seat portion is provided with a positioning protrusion located directly below the opening guide strip. When the mating surface and the end face of the valve seat portion abut against each other, the positioning protrusion is embedded in the guide groove.
5. The rotatable gate valve of claim 2, wherein: The upper end of the guide strip has a constricted structure.
6. The rotatable gate valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the sealing surface and the abutment surface are inclined relative to the vertical direction, and both are inclined from top to bottom toward the inside of the wedge gate.
7. The rotatable gate valve of claim 1, wherein: A recess is formed in the area where the inner surface of the flow channel communicates with the valve chamber. The recess extends in a groove shape along the circumference of the flow channel. The width of the sealing surface in the horizontal plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the flow channel is greater than the width of the abutment surface.
8. The rotatable gate valve of claim 1, wherein: The wedge gate is detachably connected to the connecting block and the valve stem. The connecting block has a T-slot, and the valve stem includes a T-shaped insertion part that can be inserted into the T-slot.
9. The rotatable gate valve of any of claims 1-8, wherein: The drive mechanism includes a nut seat that is rotatably connected to the valve body and located above the valve chamber. The valve stem passes through the nut seat and is threadedly connected to the nut seat. A handwheel located above the valve body is fixed on the nut seat.
10. The rotatable gate valve of claim 9, wherein: The upper end of the valve stem extends out of the valve body and is fixed with a handle. The valve body is provided with a mark indicating the position of the handle.